Fishing is a favored hobby of those who live near lakes, streams, rivers, and other bodies of water which are capable of harboring populations of marine animals. There are two primary reasons for why a person may wish to take part in fishing with the first reason being for recreations, and the second reason being for food. Many people consider fishing to be an extremely relaxing activity, no doubt partially due to the relaxed nature of the task, and the natural surroundings in which the activity of fishing often places the fisherman. Fishing often takes place on the bank of a river or lake, on a pier, in a stream or river, or on a boat. Most of these locations are typically considered to be very calm and serene, or at the very least, highly enjoyable to the senses. The fisherman is usually able to feel a reconnection with nature by way of the activity of fishing and the locations where it is performed. Fishing allows people to take a step back from the modernized world and relax in nature by performing an activity that is an ancient human art, and requires only the most basic of mechanical technology in order to perform; thus driving its popularity in an increasingly hectic modern lifestyle. This fact is the main reason why fishing is often performed by individuals as a favored pastime, and fishing for this purpose is often referred to as recreational fishing; it is however, not the only reason to fish.
The other primary reason to perform the task of fishing is to gather food for human consumption. The food gathered by fishing is either consumed by the individual who is fishing or is put up for sale at market. Fishing which is performed for the sole purpose of gathering large amounts of fish is typically referred to as commercial fishing, and any fish which are caught are typically sold on the market and are subsequently distributed to grocery stores, restaurants, and industrial food processing plants. Most commercial fishing is typically performed using large commercial fishing boats which make use of expansive nets in a technique known as trawling. Trawling is capable of capturing incredible volumes of fish, thereby driving its widespread use within the commercial fishing industry. Fish are an excellent source of the proteins vital to human life, and as a result, commercial fishing provides a very large percentage of protein required by the global human population. Fishing for food is not always performed on a commercial scale. In many parts of the world fishing is still performed on a subsistence level, and is referred to as artisanal fishing.
Despite the widespread prevalence of commercial and artisanal fishing, recreational fishing is still very common for the reasons discussed above. Recreational fishing typically takes place on a very small scale, usually coming down to an individual person fishing in a particular spot on or along a body of water such as a river, stream, or lake. Although there are many different methods of fishing as mentioned, the most common method of fishing utilized by recreational fisherman is known as angling. The method of fishing known as angling utilizes a fishing rod from which a fishing line is dropped into the water. At the end of the line is located either a lure or a hook with bait, both of which are intended to attract fish and then pierce the fish's mouth when it bites down on the lure or hook. Although there are many different kinds of synthetic lures and baits which are intended to replace traditional live baits, it is generally accepted that live bait has a higher success rate then their synthetic counterparts. Although live bait is generally more effective than synthetic bait, it is also much more difficult to store preceding its use in fishing activities. This is mainly due to the simple fact that the live bait must be kept alive. Additionally, the bait is most effective if it is still alive when it is placed onto the hook and subsequently dropped into the water; it is much more likely to attract bites if it is still alive and moving as opposed to being dead and motionless. Thus, it is important that the bait is fully alive at two critical points in the fishing process; before being applied to the hook, and after being dropped into the water on the end of a fishing line. Accomplishing this can be a particular challenge for those who live and fish in colder environments.
In order to keep live bait alive, it is necessary to prevent the water in which the bait resides from dropping below a certain temperature. This can be difficult, as if the bait is stored outdoors in a cold environment; the water may easily drop too low and kill the bait. On the other hand, if the bait is stored within a temperature controlled environment such as the interior of a house, the bait becomes used to this warmer temperature. When the bait is subsequently dropped into the cold water of a lake or stream, the bait can die instantly from the shock of the sudden temperature change. Thus, it is desirable to keep the water in which the bait is stored at a temperature that is equal or similar to the temperature of large bodies of water in the environment where the fishing takes place. It is clear that there is a need for a device which can regulate water temperature of a small volume of water to allow live bait to be stored outdoors, or in non temperature controlled buildings until such time as the bait is utilized by the fisherman. It is therefore an objective of the present invention to introduce a live bait heater and aerator which provides dual functionality to keep live bait alive until such time as it is used by the fisherman. The present invention provides both aeration and heating functions suitable for use on a small volume of water such as that contained within a bait storing bucket. By regulating the temperature of the water, the user of the present invention can store their bait outdoors, or in a garage without fear of their bait dying and becoming unusable. It is an object of the present invention to automatically regulate the temperature of the water in which it is placed at a level which is similar to the temperature of large bodies of water in the environment. It is a further object of the present invention to be very easy to use, and to be highly durable such that it can survive continued exposure to low temperature conditions in which it is intended to operate.